MINISTRY of Health Permanent Secretary for Technical Services Dr Kennedy Malama has announced that Zambia has recorded 408 new COVID-19 cases out of 1,611 tests conducted in the last 24 hours, with 44 patients currently on oxygen support.

And Dr Malama says the country has also recorded two COVID-19 related deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the cumulative number of deaths associated with the virus to 151.

Speaking during the daily COVID-19 briefing in Lusaka, Friday, Dr Malama said 107 patients were currently admitted in various health care facilities receiving treatment, out of which 44 were on oxygen support and four in Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

He added that 514 had been discharged in the last 24 hours, bringing the cumulative recoveries to 3,803.

“Zambia has recorded a total of 408 new cases of COVID-19 cases out of a total of 1,611 tests conducted in the last 24 hours. This brings the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in Zambia to 5,963. The 408 cases we are reporting in the last 24 hours include: 214 individuals identified from routine community screening in various parts of our country; 93 contacts to known positive cases; 81 cases identified through health care facility screening in six districts; 15 health care workers. We also had four truck drivers, who tested positive through the Nakonde border and we had one Brought In Dead (BID) in Kabwe,” Dr Malama said.

“It is also important to inform the nation that we currently have 107 patients admitted in various health care facilities with the majority at Levy Mwanawasa Isolation and Treatment Centre receiving treatment. Out of that, 44 patients are on oxygen support, four of whom are in the Intensive Care Unit. We have discharged a total of 514 persons in the last 24 hours, bringing the cumulative recoveries to 3,803 since the beginning of the outbreak in our country.”

And Dr Malama said the country had also recorded two COVID-19-related deaths in the last 24 hours.

“On a sad note, we have lost a patient at the Levy Mwanawasa Isolation and Treatment Centre, bringing the total number of COVID-19-related deaths in the last 24 hours to two. And these are yet to be classified. The cumulative number of COVID-19 deaths now stands at 151 of which 44 are due to COVID-19, while 104 are COVID-19-associated deaths. Let me stress that of the deaths, which we are yet to classify, there are three in total,” he said.

Dr Malama said since the pandemic was confirmed in the country, 83,093 tests had been conducted.

“No one else is going to eliminate COVID-19 from Zambia, it will take us, Zambians, to make a difference starting at individual-level, family-level, community-level. If we work as a collective, we can make a difference. But if we decide that COVID-19 continues and becomes chronic in Zambia and continues causing as much disturbance, that will be the case. But I know each and every Zambian is saying, ‘this is not the route we are going to take’,” said Dr Malama.